


Blind Date

by Whisperingwater



Series: Karamel Shenanigans [2]
Category: Karamel - Fandom, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humor, KARAMEL FOREVER, KaraMel, Karamel - Alternate Universe, Karamel Blind Date AU, Max is Mike's brother, Mike is a Chef, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-16 16:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17552804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisperingwater/pseuds/Whisperingwater
Summary: In honor of DIRECTOR CHRIS WOOD, here's a new short Karamel story!!! Hope you guys like it.All the characters (except few original characters of mine) belong to DC Comics. The characterization is based off CW Supergirl. No copyright infringement intended.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kim/gifts).



Kara Danvers changed her outfit for the nth time. Her sister had set up a blind date for her and all Kara wanted to do was look good.

"Relax," Alex called. "You'll end up ruining the makeup by crinkling so much!"

Kara had agreed for some light makeup. And now her sister had chose few outfits and she ended up trying every single one of them.

"I suck! I'm gonna grow old and die alone!" Kara cried as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The little black dress did  _not_  suit her!

"Kara, seriously!"

"Ugh! I'm not wearing any of these!" Kara grumbled as she picked out black jeans, black top and an off-white jacket.

Alex sighed when she walked into the living room and twirled. "How do I look?" Kara asked, hurrying to put her hair in a ponytail.

"Wait, stop!" Alex grabbed the hair tie from her sister. "Just leave it open. And can you please wear your contact lenses?"

"Why? Do you think he will hate my glasses? Or I'll look too studious?"

"Neither. Kara, honey, you really need to take this seriously. You haven't been on a proper date in ages."

"Not my fault the last one turned out to be a douchebag! He left saying he had to use the restroom. Next thing I know, the waitress tells me I have to pay for his drinks that he drank when I wasn't even there yet!" Kara grabbed a nice white handbag and dumped her phone, her purse and a lip gloss in it.

"He's a nice guy," Alex called as her sister rushed to the door. "He likes food."

That was the first time in the entire evening did Kara Danvers smile. "Really? Wow! At least we have one thing in common."

"Not the eating kinda way." Alex walked towards the elevator. She wanted to drop Kara off at the bar and insisted that she would call in thirty minutes of the date and if Kara wasn't feeling the vibe she should make an excuse that her friend is at the hospital. But if she was feeling good about the date then she should just say her friend had called to ask her if she had any plans.

"Okay, Mom." Kara rolled her eyes playfully. Her sister worried too much.

When Alex pulled outside  _One Block East_ , she told Kara to call her if she needed a ride back home.

"Have fun! Don't kiss him! That's for second date."

"Alex!"

Kara waved to her sister and walked inside the bar.

 _One Block East_  was where Alex hung out with her friends, but this was Kara's first time here. The tables in the corner were set right next to the glass floor to ceiling windows. Kara looked around to see if someone fit the description of her date, but she couldn't really point out which one.

She decided to take a seat in one of the vacant tables with two high chairs. She looked out the window to see if someone was coming in. A sudden feeling of uneasiness crept inside her as she started to think that he had ditched her.  _What if this one was a douchebag too?_

"Hi," she heard someone say. Kara looked up to see a rather handsome man standing with his hands in his pockets. He wore dark jeans like her with dark blue shirt.

"Hi! I'm Kara." Kara held her hand out for him.

"Mike. Good to see you, Kara!" Mike shook her hand and took his black jacket off before putting it over the chair. "This is a nice place."

Kara nodded. "I heard the appetizers are good here."

"Really? Guess we should be getting those." Mike waved towards a waiter who came to take their order. "What would you like to have, Kara?"

Kara looked at the menu card on the table. Alex had always talked about the Buffalo wings. But Kara didn't want to make a mess while sitting in front of such a hot date.

She glanced up at Mike who was also checking out the menu, albeit the drinks one.

"I think I'll go with fish fingers," Kara finally said, looking up at their waiter.

"We would also like some fries, mozzarella sticks and Buffalo wings," Mike said, glancing at Kara once before looking at their waiter.

"Anything to drink?" the man asked.

"Club Soda, please," Kara replied.

"One screwdriver for me. And one margarita. Thanks!" Once the waiter left, Mike looked at the blonde carefully. She seemed kinda tensed. But damn, she was so beautiful! "So, our mutual friend said you liked food. What's your go-to comfort food?"

Kara's shoulders relaxed a little. Food. Now she could talk about that!

"Potstickers!"

"Really? Chinese is always good."

"What about yours?" Kara asked.

"Oh… that's a tough one. I'm more of a dessert person. Ice Cream for me."

Kara smiled brightly. "I love Ice Cream, too! Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my ultimate favorite."

"Plain old Mint Chocolate Chip for me… So, what do you do?"

"I'm actually an assistant to Cat Grant. CatCo."

"CatCo. Magazine! Quite popular, huh?"

"Yup! What about you, Mike?" Kara asked just as the waiter returned with their drinks and appetizers.

Mike took a sip of his screwdriver before saying, "Believe it or not, I'm actually a Chef."

"Seriously? Wow! I've never met a Chef before! Your job must be fun."

"Uh!" Mike chuckled before saying. "I'm actually a sous-chef. The kitchen is sometimes a battlefield. But it is fun to cook."

"How did you become a cook? Was it passion?" Kara seemed genuinely interested in him now. She grabbed an onion ring as Mike took a Buffalo wing. Kara looked at how he was carefully removing the small bones from the chicken wing before finally eating.

"I used to be a bartender during college days. It was a part-time job and I cooked sometimes. People started liking my food so the owner decided to add them to the menu. But she was also kind enough to encourage me to study culinary arts and become a cook." Mike took another bite of the wing and said, "This is… nice. It's actually good. Give it a try."

Kara smiled and took a wing. "I can't cook to save my life," she confessed. "I tried once. And they ended up evacuating the entire building."

Mike chuckled. "What were you trying to make, Masterchef?"

"Mac and Cheese." Kara giggled. "That's why I just stick to eating the food and not venturing into the kitchen to make something that's not breakfast."

"You said you were an assistant. But Cat Grant is high-profile. Is that fun?"

"The job? I won't say it's fun, it's challenging at times. I wanted to be a Reporter, but they had one position open and I was just out of college."

"You still want to be a Reporter, right?"

"Yeah. Someday."

Mike smiled at that. "Where are you from? Or did you grow up here?"

"Oh no. I'm from Midvale. I moved here for college. What about you?"

"Seattle. I left home for college. Loved this city enough to stay back."

"Must be a change, huh?" Kara asked, before taking a sip of her drink. "Seattle is cold. National City, not so much."

"I got used to it."

They talked some more. About their life, friends, the city and food. A lot of food talk. Alex did call and Kara told her that she was kinda busy. The older Danvers sister got the message and told Kara to have fun.

Almost an hour later when Kara had made up her mind to ask about a second date, Mike got a call.

"Winn, what's up?" Mike asked after asking Kara for a minute. "What? Dammit! Okay… yeah… No, I'm out, but I'll be there… Sure."

"Everything okay?" Kara asked seeing Mike's concerned expression.

"Yeah, sorry. My brother is visiting. He had an accident and has been taken to the hospital. I have to go." Mike gestured for the bill and the waiter came to the table. Before Kara could even offer to pay, Mike had settled the bill and left a nice tip. "I'm so sorry, Kara! I had a wonderful time tonight."

"Me too. I hope you brother is okay."

"He's so reckless! He's gonna be the death of me... Thanks for meeting me."

"Yeah. Bye, Mike."

"Goodbye, Kara. You get home safe." Mike waved to her and rushed out of the bar. She sat down to see him walking towards a motorbike. He got on and drove away in a hurry.

Kara sighed and called Alex. When she sister picked up in the third ring, Kara asked, "Hey, can you pick me up?"

* * *

To say Kara was disappointed would be an understatement. She really liked Mike and they seemed to click, but the way he left… It was the same excuse Alex had told her to use if she was bored.

"So, how did it go?" Alex asked as Kara got into the car.

"I don't think I'm gonna see him again."

"Wait, what? Kara, you didn't want me to rescue you!"

"I know. But he's not second date material. Can we not talk about this please?"

"Oh, Kara!"

"I need comfort food." Kara pouted.

"Okay, we'll get you a lot of Potstickers!"

"Good." Kara gave her sister a weak smile.

It had been a nice date, but it was better if she forgot Mike and moved on. After all, who would date someone who made fake excuses?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just imagine Asher Angel (Shazam) as Max Matthews!

Mike made his way towards the outpatient ward to see Winn standing outside talking to a nurse.

"Family only," Winn told his best friend. Mike nodded and thanked him.

"Max is my brother," Mike spoke to the nurse. "Can I please see him?"

"Sure. This way." The nurse led him towards a room with many beds. And in one of them sat his seventeen-year-old brother.

Mike let out a sigh. "What the f*ck happened to you?"

Max looked up and shrugged. "Some old lady hit me with her car. Thank God she was only parking it…"

"Can I take him home now?" Mike asked the nurse.

"Let me get the doctor."

The doctor did come to check on Max and told Mike that his brother had concussion and had to rest. Mike thanked him and paid the bills. Winn, who was also his neighbor, was the one taking Max home since Mike had to drive his motorbike.

Once they reached home, Max got an earful for standing behind cars that were backing.

Mike did make him some dinner before he went to bed. He thanked Winn once again for helping his brother when he was busy.

"So, how was the date?" Winn asked as he grabbed a beer from Mike's fridge.

"Shockingly good! I really like her."

"When's the next date?"

Mike made a face before facepalming himself. "I forgot to ask for her number!"

"Did you just leave her there when I called you?"

"What else was I supposed to do? My freaking brother decided to get hit by an old lady's car!"

"Mike, she's gonna think you got bored and you ran off! You should have at least gotten her number."

"I can ask Alex. She's the one who set us up. But Alex is her sister… If you're right and if Kara really thought I ditched her then Alex wouldn't talk to me."

"I hope you figure it out. It's about time you start dating again!" Winn patted his friend's shoulder. "Max will be okay, right?"

"He won't die, if that's what you're asking. But my mother will sure kill me if she finds out Max got hurt while visiting me… Anyway, thanks, buddy! I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"You betcha!" Winn sent a salute his way before leaving the apartment.

Mike went to check on his brother to see he was sleeping peacefully. He had promised to take Max to the restaurant tomorrow. But if he wasn't doing well then they had to postpone their plans.

* * *

The next afternoon, Mike decided to take Max to the restaurant. Before going to AL FORNO, they stopped by the market where Mike wanted to buy few things.

This was his routine. He woke up late, made himself a nice breakfast, went out for a walk around the market, grabbed whatever was fresh and could be used for the dishes, headed straight to the restaurant, had lunch with the other cooks, the staff, their head chef and the owner as their discussed things about AL FORNO. Then they would get ready to start preparing since the restaurant opened for patrons at 6:30PM and went on till 11:30PM. By the time they were done for the day, it was past midnight.

Mike had always dreamt of opening a restaurant of his own. He had been saving for it, but he wasn't ready yet. He knew he would be someday. But that wasn't anytime soon.

The entire team of AL FORNO welcomed Max with open arms. He ended up bonding with them during lunch, so Mike decided to step out for a minute since his brother was okay on his own. Mike exited through the back exit.

He called Alex. He had been meaning to since he wanted Kara's number.

Alex picked the phone on the third ring. "Mike? Hey!"

"Alex, hi. Umm… how're you doing? I just… I just wanted to know if Kara is okay."

"She is, Mike. Why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry, I had to leave last night. My brother is visiting from Seattle. He got into a minor accident and was taken to the hospital. I didn't even get Kara's number… I was wondering if I could… talk to her?"

Mike heard Alex take a deep breath. She then said, "Mike, look, you're a great guy. But I don't think my sister wants to see you again."

Mike let out a disappointed sigh. "Was it because I left? Or she didn't like me?"

"Sometimes some people just don't click. It's not your fault. So, yeah. You take care of yourself and your brother. Bye, Mike."

She cut the call even before Mike could reply. He let out a curse and turned to go back into the restaurant when he saw Max standing outside.

"I ruined your date, huh?" Max asked, looking dejected.

"No. It wasn't you… She didn't like me."

"Her loss then… Listen, bro. I know this is not a good time, but I wanted to tell you something."

Mike nodded. "What is it?"

"I applied to Stanhope College, and I got in."

"Stanhope?" Mike scratched his stubble a little. "Here?"

"Yeah. I want to move to National City… Can I stay at your place for a while? Till I get my own place."

Mike leaned against the wall and asked, "What about Mom and Dad?"

"What about them?"

"Do they know? This is a big decision. They weren't happy when I left home."

"Mom and Dad are getting a divorce, Mike. I'm the last thing they're worried about."

"What?!"

"You would have found out eventually. She's getting half of his everything. They are selling the house and dividing it into parts. So we get our share, too."

"I don't want their money!"

"You want to have a restaurant of our own. I want to study here… It's good money, Mike. And you know their relationship was doomed since they had me to save their marriage years ago."

Mike kneaded his temple. "You're welcome to stay here. But I'm coming with you to the college for the admission… You already know my work schedule. It's hectic. You'll have to work with that."

"I will, bro. Thanks!"

Mike smiled and patted his brother's head. "Let's go in. Lunch is almost over."

* * *

The team let Max stay in the kitchen for the day, as long as he didn't disturb them. He ended up sitting in the corner, watching a video on his phone.

"Mike," the head chef, Siobhan, gestured for him to join her in the storage room.

"You be careful now," Donna called, with a mischievous smile on her face.

Mike rolled his eyes at her before following Siobhan into the storage room.

"Yes, Chef?"

"Mike, darling, you know you can call me Siobhan." The woman gave him a seductive smile and placed a hand over his chest. "I need to talk to you about something."

Mike took a step back and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"I'm leaving town for two weeks. I've already spoken to Sam and she was totally fine with it."

"Oh!"

"So you already know what it means! Congratulations, Chef!"

Mike seemed really surprised by her words. He had been working at AL FORNO for two years, and he had to shadow Siobhan for a while when he had just joined. He had always wanted to be a Head Chef!

"Donna will be your sous-chef. Just don't burn the place down. Okay?"

"Donna and I will be fine. You have a good trip, Siobhan."

"Oh, darling! You know how much I'm gonna miss you!"

"CHEF!" Someone yelled as the door to the storage room jolted open. Siobhan jumped and looked at Eve Teschmacher, who had joined them in the storage room, making the space a bit tight for all three of them. "Your Béchamel is burning!"

"Dammit, Eve! Couldn't you just stir it?"

"I'm a  _pasty_  chef," Eve reminded Siobhan, who rolled her eyes at her and marched out of the storage room.

Once she left, Mike let out a loud sigh. "Thanks for the save, Eve."

"No problem! I'm always here to rescue people from Siobhan." As they stepped out together, Eve asked, "By the way, is your friend Winn ever coming back to dine with us? It was fun when he came to lunch last month. I mean, it's fun your brother joined us. But I just feel it would be more fun if Winn was here too."

"Umm… You know what, Eve? Let me talk to Winn, yeah?" Mike gave her a quick smile before heading to his station.

A waiter walked into the kitchen just then and said, "One Costolette di agnello!"

"You wanna do the sauce?" Donna asked Mike as she went to get the meat.

"Sure! Let's get started!" Mike smiled at her before they began to work on the dish together.

Later that night, Mike and Max stopped by to get some fast food before going home. Max was serious about moving to National City, but Mike knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Their mother would protest. But with the divorce happening, it was possible Rhea and Larson wouldn't care if their other child left home too.

* * *

The next day, Mike's day started with the same routine. But when he reached the restaurant before lunch, he was surprised to see who was visiting.

"Who's that?" Max asked when they saw a young girl around fifteen carrying a dish of pasta to the table.

"My boss Sam's kid. Ruby." Mike walked in and greeted everyone. When Ruby waved to him, he smiled. "Hey Ruby! How're you? No school today?"

"Hi, Mike! Holidays have started. So Mom thought it would be fun for me to come to the restaurant."

"That's good. Where's your mom, by the way?"

Ruby pointed at the office. Mike excused himself and went to see his boss.

Max was left alone with Ruby, but also the rest of the team of AL FORNO.

"Hi," he said with a slight wave.

"Hey, I'm Ruby. My mom's family owns this place." She gave Max a bright smile.

"I'm Max. Mike's brother… I was here yesterday… Good people."

"I know! AL FORNO is a family." Ruby looked away nervously before looking back at Max and asking, "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"Yeah! Sure, why not?" Max smiled and sat next to her.

Donna was giving them both a weird look, but Max chose to ignore his brother's best friend. He had finally met someone around his age and today might just not be that boring, after all.

Meanwhile, Mike went to the office to see Sam running around, getting something printed. He had always looked up to this woman. Sam Arias was not just a wonderful boss, but also an amazing human being. This restaurant belonged to her family, but since her father had retired, she was running the show. She was also a single mother, but that had never stopped her from pursing her dreams and giving Ruby a comfortable life.

"Hey, boss!" Mike called, leaning against the wall.

Sam let out a sigh in relief. "There you are! I'm so so soooo sorry Siobhan decided to give us a last minute notice before leaving. She put so much pressure on you!"

"Sam, relax. I was the sous-chef for a while. I basically did Siobhan's job while she got the praises."

"I know. I'm so sorry for that. Her mom and my mom are best friends so I couldn't really fire her." Sam sighed and plopped on her chair. She then gestured Mike to sit down as well.

"Two weeks, huh?"

Sam kneaded her temple. "No. Indefinitely." She took a paper from her desk and showed it to Mike.

"She resigned?" Mike's eyes widened reading Siobhan's resignation letter.

"She mailed it to me this morning. No notice whatsoever. She said she's going on a holiday, but that was a lie. She got a job in Central City."

"So that means…"

"Hello, Chef!" Sam gave him a big smile. "I was rooting for you."

Mike smiled at her. "Well… what can I say? I'm gonna love this job."

"We need to change your contract and officially make you our Head Chef. That includes pay raise and other benefits… But I need to tell my mom that Siobhan ditched us and I'm terrified!"

"Tell Mrs. Arias to dine with us tomorrow. Let her see we can manage without Siobhan."

"You know what, Mike? I'm gonna do just that! Let's show Mom AL FORNO can survive without Siobhan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAM IS IN MY STORY!!! I'M SOOO HAPPY!!
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you liked reading this! 2 more chapters coming up tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

It was almost a week later that Mike finally got to catch a breath. Being the Head Chef was no joke. It was same as being Siobhan's sous-chef, only this time he had to meet anyone who wanted to talk to the Chef. And Mike Matthews hadn't been ready for any praises whatsoever.

Mr. and Mrs. Arias had come to dine. Sam and Ruby joined them, making it a nice, family affair. But Mrs. Arias took a bite of her ravioli and knew Siobhan was gone even before Sam could break the news to her. She seemed okay with Mike taking Siobhan's place, but didn't say it out loud. But Mr. Arias had come to the kitchen to greet his staff and also to congratulate them on the effort they put in.

Max and Ruby had gotten along well. They came to the restaurant at noon. Had lunch with the others and then went out to explore the neighborhood. They would come back to the restaurant and help whatever way possible. Mike or Donna usually made dinner for them, which was nothing out of the menu, but equally tasty. Eve spoiled them with her delicious pastries. And for the teenagers, they were pretty happy with the good food.

Both Mike and Sam hadn't reacted to Max and Ruby hanging out together. Mike was waiting for Sam's reaction, and she was waiting for his.

So one fine day, Mike went to talk to his boss. Not about his brother and her daughter, but something related to kids and teenagers.

Mike grabbed a menu from the restaurant and placed it in front of Sam, who was busy shoving Eve's cannoli into her mouth after lunch. They were pretty much the only people there since everyone else had started working.

"Tell me what's wrong with this menu," he said as he pulled a chair to sit next to her.

"Umm… ish nosh Ishalian." Sam held up a finger and finished her cannoli first before saying, "It's not in Italian? I mean, the dishes are."

"No. We aren't kids friendly. Or even teenager friendly."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, you always told me this restaurant was a place where a family can come in and enjoy the food and each other's company."

"That's right."

Mike nodded. "When Ruby dined with you the night your parents came over, what did she eat?"

"I think she ordered something that wasn't even on the menu and garlic breadsticks."

"Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and a hint of garlic parmesan. I made it, that's why I remember. But, Sam, Ruby got to order something that wasn't even in the menu because this is your family restaurant.  _Her_  family… What about other kids? Even Max won't eat anything from the menu. And I noticed that we don't get a lot of youngsters here… And food is supposed to be enjoyed by everyone."

"I know where you are coming from. What do you suggest?"

"Add three things to the menu. Fettuccine Alfredo, Macaroni and Cheese, and finally, authentic Neapolitan Pizza."

"Pizza?" Sam raised a brow.

"All time favorite!"

"I love Pizza, Mike. But this restaurant has had a set menu for years."

Mike smiled and nodded. "Don't you think it's time we changed it?"

"Okay, let's say I prove of all three new additions, but we won't get the menu printed that soon!"

"You leave that to me. I might have to borrow Max and Ruby for a while… Don't worry about payments. I'll take care of it, and I will take them out to get fast food."

"You're great with kids." Sam smiled and stood up. "Alright, Chef, do your thing. Let's get the new three on the menu."

Mike had thanked Sam and got Max and Ruby to help him out. Max was good with graphic designing so Mike had asked him to create a special menu that could be printed and stuck to the actual menu.

Max and Ruby had started with the work. And with the help of the waiters, they put the special menu in its place.

* * *

Later that evening, when orders for Pizza Napoletana and the pastas arrived, the other cooks seemed happy with getting a chance to make something new. Mike personally kneaded the dough for the pizza and prepared the sauce. He also played a soft, relaxing music in the kitchen, something Siobhan had prohibited them from doing. The whole kitchen had lightened up, enjoying their work and getting praises from their Head Chef, which also never happened when Siobhan was around.

Mike walked through the kitchen, tasting when needed, seeing if everything was going well.

When his eyes fell on the new redhead who had left her hair open, he called, "Hey, Kate! Tie your hair up. This kitchen has rules."

"Sorry, Chef!" The woman grabbed a hair tie quickly and tied her hair up.

Joseph, who was busy making a Béchamel sauce, asked Mike to taste it.

Mike grabbed a spoon and tasted it. "Hmm… needs a little more salt. Good job, Joe!"

"Thanks, Chef!"

A waiter walked in just then with an order of Pappardelle al Cinghiale, Ricotta Gnocchi, Smoked Cheese Ravioli and a Neapolitan Pizza.

Mike started making the Ravioli when another waiter came back, telling him that the boss wanted to have a word.

Mike grabbed a hand towel and cleaned his hands before stepping out. Sam was waiting for him right outside the kitchen.

"What's up, Boss?"

"Hey, Mike! We got some special guests here tonight. Family friends. One of them is celebrating her birthday. Can you make sure their dishes get extra care? Please."

"Of course, Sam. Is this the one with Smoked Cheese Ravioli? Because that's not on the menu."

Sam smiled. "Yeah. I know. That's what the birthday girl ordered. It's actually my fault. I told her she could order things that weren't even on the menu."

"Not to worry. I can make a mean Cheese Ravioli!" Mike winked at Sam and went back into the kitchen.

He started with the Ravioli since Donna had moved to the Pizza. Once he had finished that and a waitress was back to take the dishes, Mike asked, "Which table?"

The waitress pointed at a table at the front of the restaurant, right next to the glass windows. Mike bent down a little, seeing the table from the kitchen window. His eyes widened when he saw it was Kara Danvers. "Who ordered the Ravioli?" he asked, just as the waitress was about to leave the kitchen.

"Uh… It was the blonde with the glasses, Chef."

"Thanks, Amanda," Mike said before turning away. He made his way to the refrigerator and grabbed some ingredients.

"Chef, need some help with those?" Eve asked in a hurry. Desserts were her thing so she was surprised when she saw Mike placing stuff on the table that screamed Tiramisu to her.

"You've already made the base, so thank you. I got this." Mike gave her a pleasant smile before he started to assemble the dessert. He then borrowed a piece of decorative chocolate from Eve and an icing pen. With that, he wrote, "Happy Birthday, Kara!" on the chocolate and placed it delicately on top of the Tiramisu. Eve had grabbed a small yellow candle for him. Mike smiled and accepted it.

Amanda was back to take two more dishes to table 12, but Mike stopped her by saying, "Can you please take this to table 2? To the birthday girl?"

"Sure, Chef!"

Mike stepped out of the kitchen to see Amanda taking the dessert to Kara.

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise when Amanda placed it in front of her, lit up the candle and said, "Compliments from the Chef. Happy Birthday, ma'am."

Kara looked surprised but she schooled her expression and looked at the waitress and said, "Thank you so much."

"Enjoy your dessert," Amanda said. "Would you care for some more wine?" she asked the other two ladies seated with Kara.

Alex and Eliza Danvers smiled and said yes, while Kara simply asked for more water.

"That's so sweet of Sam," Eliza said. "She made sure her Chef made you that… almost cake."

"Yeah. Sam's awesome." Kara smiled before she blew the candle and cut it.

* * *

Sam had been observing everything carefully. She had been standing outside her office, waiting to go talk to Ruby, who was in the kitchen with Max. But when her eyes fell on the Tiramisu that was taken to the Danvers' table, she raised a brow.

It was later that night when everyone was wrapping up, Max and Ruby stood in the corner, making plans for tomorrow.

Mike had promised to take them to Dairy Queen for some Blizzards. When he saw Sam smiling at her daughter telling Max that she could finish the ice cream faster than him, he said, "Sam, why don't you join us? My treat! Max and Ruby did a great job with the menu today."

"Sure, why not? I never say no to ice cream!"

Mike smiled as he gestured for her to lead the way. Mike and Max went on his bike, while the mother and daughter went in Sam's car. They met at Dairy Queen and Mike went to pay for the Blizzards and the iced coffee he had ordered. Max and Ruby decided to wait to get the ice creams and the coffee, so Sam and Mike went to grab a seat.

"Good job today," Sam said as she leaned against the back of her chair. "My special guests loved their food."

"I'm happy to know that. I did make that Ravioli."

"And the Tiramisu…" Sam gave him a knowing smile. "How did you know her name was Kara? I never told you."

Mike stiffened in his seat. Nothing escaped Sam. He let out a small sigh and decided to come clean. "We went on a date…"

"I didn't know you were dating someone."

"I'm not. It was one date… It ended even before it…"

"What happened, Mike?"

Mike told her everything from the start. How Alex set him up on a blind date with Kara. How Max got into an accident and how he had to hurry to the hospital. How he never got Kara's number and how Alex told him that Kara didn't want to see him again.

Sam frowned lightly. She had been the one to introduce Mike and Alex, after Alex had wanted to compliment the Chef and Siobhan was off that day. She had seen Mike and Alex talk whenever she came to dine with her friends or colleagues. But she knew Kara well… She wouldn't just write a man off who had left with a good excuse.

Sam decided to take the matter into her hands. She would give Kara that call tomorrow asking if she had a pleasant dinner at AL FORNO. This way she would also mention Mike was the one who made her the birthday Tiramisu and that she was not involved in that.

Once Max and Ruby were back, they all ate their ice creams and talked about the various patrons who came to AL FORNO. Ruby joked that her own grandmother was the hardest guest to impress.

When they were ready to leave, Mike and Max said goodbye to Sam and Ruby before getting on the bike.

On the way back home, Max told Mike that their father had called.

"What did he want?" the older Matthews brother asked.

"He said he was sorry… He said it was his fault you left home. Mike, Dad's having an affair. He said only you knew and you didn't out him. Mom found out and that's why they are getting a divorce… Why didn't you tell us about the affair?

"That wasn't my business, Max. Mom and Dad separated ages ago. They only waited for a divorce this long because of the society. I guess Dad finally learnt to choose love over duty… Sybill is good. You'll like her."

"I don't wanna go back to Seattle ever again. No thank you. I'm super happy here!"

Mike had a playful grin on his face. "Why? Because of Ruby?"

"WHAT? NO! Mike, no!"

"Someone is in looovvveee…"

"MIKE, STOP IT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish Mike Matthews was real... *sighs* He's dreamy!


	4. Chapter 4

Mike and Donna went to the farmers' market together to buy some vegetables and fruits that Eve had asked for.

As Mike stood buying the fresh tomatoes, smiling when the lady offered him one that she had just washed, he thanked her and took a bite of it.

"Umm… this is good!" Mike gave it to Donna, who took a bite of it.

"Yeah. We need to get these."

Mike took his wallet out and paid for the tomatoes. As they moved to the potatoes next, Donna spoke, "So… what are you doing this weekend?"

"Nothing much. Max will be returning from Seattle with his stuff. He needs to settle in… Why?"

"Wanna grab a drink? Or watch a movie?"

Mike smirked at her. "Donna Troy, are you asking me out on a date?"

When Donna didn't reply, Mike chuckled and threw an arm over her shoulder. It was true that they had dated during culinary school. But work got in the middle and they ended up choosing to give it more time than their relationship. They ended up becoming best friends with no hard feelings. But Mike still teased Donna whenever he got the chance.

She pushed him away and said, "Yeah, doofus. I'm asking you out."

Mike's smile flattered hearing that. "You're being serious now?"

"Yup… At first I thought it was just better if we were friends. Work always kept us busy, but now with Siobhan gone, we finally have breathing space. Do you wanna pick up where we left off?"

Mike gulped. How was he supposed to tell Donna that Winn had a huge crush on her and if they dated, Winn would be crushed?

And there was Kara…

Despite how things had ended between them, Mike still couldn't stop thinking about her.

He really hoped Donna wouldn't hate him for what he was about to say. "Doe, you know you're my best friend and I—"

Donna cut him off with a smirk. "You care about me and all you want is for me to be happy. That being said… you have moved on."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Who is it? The blind date girl?"

"How did you know?"

Donna shrugged. "Winn and I gossip about you. And yes, I'm also aware that he has a crush on me. He's not exactly subtle about his feelings!"

Mike smiled remembering the time Winn had ended up with a bunch of roses at the restaurant just because he wanted to say hi to Donna.

"Hey, Matthews!" Donna called as she began to walk towards a small café. "No hard feelings, okay? You're still my best friend. Let me buy you a nice caramel frap with extra whip cream. Your favorite!"

Mike facepalmed himself. "Once, Donna! I had it once!"

"Extra whip cream!" Donna grinned as she began to jog towards the café. Mike shook his head and followed her.

* * *

Two day later, Mike was finishing up work for the day. His team was waiting for him as he returned from Sam's office after discussing something.

Mike walked into the kitchen and said, "Guys, we did it! The patrons loved the new dishes! The regulars have even suggested we add the pizza and the pastas to the menu. Eve, I talked to the boss, she will be more than happy to keep a display of the desserts in the restaurant so the guests can see what the special is. You might get an assistant to help you out with the pastries. You guys have done a great job! Now go home and sleep. Good night, folks!"

"Good night, Chef!" the others said before they went to grab their things and were ready to leave.

Max stood up from the corner and picked up his jacket. "Bro, I need to pee."

"Hurry up, Max. Turn off this main switch when you come out."

Mike was the last to leave as always. He changed out of his uniform and put on a plain blue t-shirt and jeans. He grabbed his motorcycle jacket as he stepped out.

As he stood waiting for Max, his eyes fell on a lone figure standing some distance away. Mike's grip on his helmet tightened. Could it be a mugger? Maybe it was just a homeless person.

But as he stood there, that someone stepped out of the shadows.

To Mike's surprise it was Kara. She had let her hair loose like last time. But she was dressed like him. Casual. No makeup.

"Hi," she called, making her way towards him.

"Hey," Mike greeted back. "What are you doing here?"

"Well… I've been here for a while. I didn't know when you usually came out. I don't know your schedule."

"Is there something you wanted?"

Kara nodded. "I wanted to apologize. I was wrong… I really thought you ditched me. Because Alex told me that if I wasn't feeling good about the date, when she called me, I should lie about a friend at the hospital."

"So you thought I lied."

"Mike, the truth is, I've never been good at this dating thing. My last blind date was a disaster. And I really thought we were bonding, but when you left, I thought  _you thought_  I was boring."

"Kara, I was there with you for over an hour."

"I know. And I'm really sorry for that. I'm ashamed of what I did. Alex told me you called. And all I wanted to do was get your number from her."

Mike gave her a small nod.

"Another thing," Kara started. "Thank you for the lovely birthday dinner and the Tiramisu."

"Did Sam tell you?"

"Yeah. She did. And it's a good thing she did… I've been trying to sum up the courage to talk to you for the last few days. I just didn't know how."

"Six-Thirty to Twelve," Mike said.

"What?"

"I start my work at the kitchen at six. Even though the kitchen only starts at six-thirty. We finish by twelve. But wrapping it all up and leaving… I usually end up going home at one in the morning… Now you know."

Kara gave him a small smile. "Yeah. Now I know. Thanks."

"Anyway, apology accepted. And I'm glad you liked my cooking."

"I can't cook, but already know that. But I can treat you to some Chinese, maybe?"

Mike smiled and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"I know we met at a blind date. But can we start over?" Seeing Mike nod, Kara held her hand out. "I'm Kara Danvers. I work at CatCo as the assistant to Miss Grant. She's addicted to coffee, so all those coffee runs made me addicted to caffeine as well. I love food! And I can't cook to save my life… And I really like you."

Mike shook her hand. "My name's Mike Matthews. I'm the Head Chef at AL FORNO. Recently got promoted. I'm addicted to caffeine as well. I love food, too. I cook a lot. I love cooking! And I think I like you, too."

Kara smiled and moved closer. "So, do you wanna go grab some Noodles and Dumplings?"

"At this time of the night?"

"I know a family owned place that's open late," Kara replied.

"Sure. Let me just make sure my brother gets back home safe first."

"Your brother?"

"Yup. The brat is officially my responsibility since he's moving to this town." Mike closed the distance between them and lowered his face. "I regret not getting your number."

"I'll give you my entire phone book." Kara leaned up and pressed her lips against Mike's softly. He kissed her back and was about to deepen it when he heard Max's loud voice.

"Mike, I switched off the main. Can we go?"

Max stepped out just in time to see Mike move away from a kiss. The girl next to him was looking at him with wide eyes.

Mike sighed and said, "Kara, meet my brother, Max. The troublesome brat who got hit by some old lady's car and ended up at the hospital. And Max, this is Kara."

"The girl you've been moping around about?" Max asked as he smiled at Kara. "Hey, Kara! Nice to meet you."

"Hi, Max! Nice to meet you, too."

Max turned to his brother and asked, "Can we go get some food? I'm starving!"

Mike shook his head as Kara laughed. She then patted Mike's shoulder and said, "Hey! This will be a memorable second date. Noodles, dumplings and Max."

"I love noodles!" Max cheered as the three started making their way to the parking.

Mike smiled at Kara when she slipped her hand in his. She smiled back. And it felt nice. Her warm hand in his.

Now the only problem was to get all three of them to the Chinese restaurant on Mike's motorbike. Mike prayed they didn't get caught by the cops while doing something fun.

As for the second date with Kara, he was going to cherish this one like the one before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! I hope you guys liked reading this story! You can always leave me Potstickers (Comments) and Club Soda (Kudos) and let me know what you think!!
> 
> So, what do you wanna read next? Some drama? Angst? Or The Age of Adaline inspired fic?

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)


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